Vertical video gets its big break 🎬

Newsletter for April 15, 2026

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The Maryland Film Festival wants to reframe the narrative around vertical video.

Last weekend, the fest debuted a new category dedicated to the format, with selections ranging from music videos to visual poems. Few major festivals celebrate vertical storytelling, so I spoke with the curator about her reasons for taking it on. Learn more below.

Plus, I spotlighted a Baltimore startup aiming to tap into the luxury travel boom with an AI platform that offloads the complexity of trip planning.

— Maria Eberhart, Maryland Reporter

See you at the Technical.ly Builders Conference? This year, it's May 6–8 in Philly, with ecosystem leaders and entrepreneurs from across the country.

Image of the Day: Training center room for IBEW Local 24 electricians union (Maria Eberhart/Technical.ly)
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Ecosystem Map Spotlight: Idaho

The Technical.ly Innovation Ecosystems Map, showing notable ecosystems across the US.

Idaho's economy pairs Boise’s growing tech and services scene with deep statewide agriculture and food systems businesses. Fundamentals show modest but improving startup activity, juiced by the post-pandemic in-migration of Silicon Valley expats.

Semiconductor and advanced manufacturing supply chains give Idaho leverage it rarely receives credit for. At the same time, many rural regions remain disconnected from visible startup narratives. Read more...

Visit the map

Tall tales at Maryland Film Fest 🎥

Simone Phillips, who runs the popular food blog Charm City Table, curated the new vertical video category at the Maryland Film Festival (MdFF). She saw it as an opportunity to showcase the diversity of work emerging from the format.

“People associate it immediately with greedy influencers, but it doesn’t always have to be that way,” Phillips told me. “It can be anything.”

MdFF has long aimed to stay at the forefront of new technology and formats. Its Cinetech exhibit marked its third anniversary this year, with new interactive installations and VR films. Continue reading...

AI-powered travel agents ✈️

In an era of DIY booking tools, Voyagier is betting that travelers want help with their planning.

Launched in March, the Baltimore startup combines planning and booking in one platform, using AI to build itineraries with input from human advisors. The company targets the luxury market, where demand has surged since the pandemic, and group or international trips, where logistics can quickly become overwhelming.

“We’re going after a little bit more of an elevated experience,” CEO Daniel Gardner told me. “That’s where we can really add the most value.” Continue reading...

Technical.ly Partner Updates

A man in a suit speaks to two other men across a table in an office setting, with laptops and papers visible.

When funding is scarce, readiness wins: The signals that separate capital-ready companies

Insights on what startup investors are looking for from the University City Science Center’s Capital Readiness Program.

📰 News Incubator: What else to know

Stories from our newsroom and around the web

Energy bill heads to Moore’s desk on session’s final day [Maryland Matters]
Waymo’s Baltimore rollout stalls without state approval for driverless cars

[Baltimore Banner 🔒]
Most new data centers in the US are coming to rural areas [Pew Research Center]
Maryland state affordability board sets its first price cap for a medicine [STAT News 🔒]
UMB taps City Hall vet to lead nearly $300M 'college town' project

[Baltimore Business Journal 🔒]
Maryland’s lieutenant governor is betting on both Waymo and the Purple Line [Technical.ly]

On the Calendar

Want to see your event here? Reply and let me know.

💻 Partner event: Critical Ops: A DC National Security Hackathon, Apr. 17-19, FREE

☀️ Maryland Day @ DC Climate Week, Apr. 21, 9 a.m., FREE

💉 Innovation Spotlight — MedTech Startup Showcase, Apr. 23, 5 p.m., $23

🗣️ Cecil Tech Connect: Spring Mixer, Apr. 23, 5:30 p.m., FREE

🎤 Fuel Demo Day Spring 2026, Apr. 23, 5:30 p.m., FREE

🎮 Level Up Summit: Empowering the Future Through Gaming, Apr. 25, 10 a.m., FREE

🔬 Social Innovation Lab Showcase, May 14, 5:30 p.m., FREE

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Image of the Day: Training center room for IBEW Local 24 electricians union (Maria Eberhart/Technical.ly) Have a photo or chart we should feature here? Hit reply and send in your submission.